Global food processing and packaging solutions specialist, tna solutions, has unveiled the latest iteration of its flagship vertical form fill and seal (VFFS) packaging system, the tna robag® 3e. Featuring a new CXE integrated display controller, smart diagnostic tools and intuitive time-saving components, the system is capable of delivering up to 250 bags per minute […]
As part of its digital transformation drive for food and beverage manufacturers, all new SIG filling line systems and downstream units are now equipped with built-in bi-directional digital recipe management. The solution is also available as an automation upgrade which can be retrofitted to installed and existing SIG filling lines.
Caro Nut Company is a premier producer of snacking nuts, nut butters and ingredients for major brands, private label customers and industrial food processors. Their commitment to food safety, which drives their success, led them to Key Technology. For their nut butter line, Caro Nut selected Key’s new VERYX® BioPrint® sorter. As the world’s only […]
IFF has introduced a high-performing, innovative solution for the dairy alternatives market. This vegan-suitable stabilizer is simple to use and stable throughout shelf life.
With its VITATEX® brand, GoodMills Innovation has introduced new texturates made from wheat, soy and peas. Ideal for the production of fish alternatives such as tuna substitutes and vegan versions of fish fingers, pan- or deep-fried fish, versatile popular meat applications can also be reproduced in a true-to-the-original format.
Swiss company FILTROX AG develops and produces layered filters of various shapes and sizes for use in food production as well as in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
Euromed presented its newly launched products made from functional Mediterranean fruit and vegetable extracts at this year’s Vitafoods Europe event. The range now also includes lemon extracts, all of which are sustainably sourced and gently processed with Pure-Hydro Process™ water-only extraction technology.
Manchester-based Stream Sensing, a spin-out of Industrial Tomography Systems (ITS) – a world leader in tomography-based analytical process instrumentation – has launched a unique technology that enables automated, in-line rheology measurement for fluid process optimisation. Suitable for complex fluids, the Stream Line Rheometer and accompanying software will help improve process efficiency in the personal care, […]
When developing and launching new products, speed is a critical factor. However, sensitive ingredients and solvent-based processes often present manufacturers with technological challenges. In process expert and plant manufacturer Glatt’s upgraded technology centre, support from initial idea and scale-up to industrial production is readily available.
At the company’s Technology Centre in Weimar, Glatt operates a unique fluid bed system that processes solvent-based products in a vacuum or using nitrogen as the process gas. As such, demand is high for scale-up tests, product sample production or short-term contract manufacturing services until the client’s own production plant has been commissioned.
However, a new fluid bed granulator and coater for innovative solvent-based processes has recently become available. The batch-mode apparatus is ideal for small and medium campaigns that include frequent cleaning cycles. Special explosion protection measures, a 12 bar pressure shock-resistant design and a scrubber to separate the solvents ensure a high level of safety for both employees and the environment. The superior hygienic conditions also allow the production of Kosher and Halal food products. Not only does the facility’s production capacity now reach into the three-digit tonne range, a new laboratory also allows feasibility tests on fluidised bed and spouted bed systems to be done under GMP conditions.
Customers benefit from optimal conditions when it comes to optimising product properties. These include better bioavailability, flowability and the absence of dust, improved solubility, tabletable agglomerates, pellet formulations with functional coatings, controlled release spraying of active ingredients, extracts with solvents, drying of solvent-based products and the microencapsulation of volatile and sensitive substances.
Products requiring improved bioavailability are emulsified and coated in a liquid phase by micro- or nano-encapsulation. However, granules or pellets that are dust-free, easily compressible and have a longer storage life are preferred when formulating final products. Spray granulation in the fluidised bed for drying and granulate formation in one step is the first choice for this. In addition to the capacity expansion, the existing plant can also now accommodate continuous spray granulation processes.
Filtrox AG has redesigned their recycling shredder to make it more efficient and to fit into confined spaces.
Filtrox, a globally operating company based in the Swiss town of St. Gallen, develops and produces layered filters of various shapes and sizes for use in food production as well as in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Offcuts produced during the cutting process were previously shredded using two machines and then transported away via chutes to either side of the shredding plants, both of which had two containers for this purpose. However, this solution required an enormous amount of space, which considerably impeded the work processes.
The company therefore sought an alternative option and found what it was looking for at Erdwich Zerkleinerungs-Systeme GmbH: The company from Igling in Bavaria adapted a model for cardboard shredding to the confined conditions on site in such a way that the two newly installed plants require less space overall and the volume of filter material residues is now reduced by more than 90 per cent. In this way, emptying of the directly connected collection container is also less frequent.
Filter layers perform complex tasks in the chemical, food and life science industries by removing a wide variety of particles from liquids, depending on the purpose for which they are used. For example, they ensure that the cork taste disappears from wine and turbidity from beer and are used to purify extracts or fermentation broths that are subsequently processed in the flavouring industry or for pharmaceutical purposes.
“To achieve this effect, the filter layers used for depth filtration consist of a cellulose or polymer fibre matrix,” explains Dennis Haag, Head of Engineering and Maintenance, at Filtrox. “The matrix is enriched with mineral filter aids and bonded together via a resin binder.”
Although the material thickness of the filter layers is only between 3.2 and 4.6 mm on average, the efficient shredding of the materials is a challenge. “Since the filter layers consist of a very dense, fibrous material, it is essential to take this into account when designing the plant,” reports Harald Erdwich, Managing Director of Erdwich Zerkleinerungs-Systeme. “Otherwise, the filter layers may not be drawn in properly by the knives with the result that the machine may consequently work inefficiently.” Another problem was the lack of space in Filtrox’s production hall. The new plants, which were to replace the two machines previously used, therefore required a particularly compact design so that the work processes would be inhibited as little as possible. This applies, for example, to the collection containers, which have to be removed regularly and replaced by empty containers.
After material tests in their in-house Technical Centre and evaluation of the space conditions, the Erdwich experts decided to modify the FKZ fine cardboard shredder for use at Filtrox. While the previous FKZ1300 and FKZ1600 models are relatively large with cutting unit sizes of 1,278 and 1,616 mm respectively, a much smaller version had to be developed for filter layer shredding. Due to the limited space available, the two FKZ200s used at Filtrox have a very small cutting unit with a width of approximately 200 mm and specially adapted hoppers, as well as a low drive power of 2.2 kW each. The filter trimmings, fed directly from the processing machine, have a width of between 10 and 50 mm, depending on the product. Thus, a throughput of about 140 kg/h can be achieved per shredding plant.
“Another reason for the high throughput is the knife system,” explains Erdwich. “Ordinary knives are often not able to grip some materials properly, so that manual help, for example with a manual feed press, is required. This problem does not occur with the ripper blades, because they have a better grip on the material and thus achieve a more efficient feed behaviour.”
The integrated comb ensures that the material does not wrap around the cutting rotor and can be shredded without problems. In the subsequent shredding process, the filter layers are not so much cut as torn apart, which happens regardless of the material: The blade insertion sequence does not have to be adapted for different types of filter layer, but works equally well for all types.
After the material has been shredded to a size of about 20 x 50 mm, it is transported by a screw conveyor with a drive power of 1.1 kW into a collecting container with a capacity of about 1000 litres. The entire shredding and collection process takes place in a very confined space. The compact design not only facilitates exchanging the containers, but also makes the machine very easy to maintain, for example, by allowing easy cleaning of the built-in sieve.
Filtrox now also saves space through the shredding process itself. This is because it was possible to reduce the volume of the filter layers by approximately 97 percent by commissioning the new plants. This means that the collection container has to be emptied less often, saving valuable working time. The shredded material is then processed further.
October 2022
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